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A new Operational Control Centre has opened at West Midlands Metro’s Wednesbury depot, marking a key milestone ahead of the network’s expansion into the Black Country.
The facility acts as the new nerve centre for tram operations, fully integrated with the wider regional transport network and built to make use of recent CCTV upgrades at Metro stops and onboard trams. It comes ahead of the opening later this year of the Metro extension between Wednesbury and Dudley town centre, with passenger services set to start once safety testing and driver training are complete.
The centre forms part of a wider redevelopment of the Wednesbury depot, and includes a new data wall offering three times the coverage of the previous system, giving real-time visibility across the network, nearby roads, public spaces and connecting transport services. It also incorporates heat mapping technology and video analytics to detect crowd build-up or suspicious behaviour, allowing resources to be deployed more quickly.
Richard Parker, mayor of the West Midlands, said: “As we prepare to open the extension to Dudley town centre, this new world-class control room ensures we deliver a safer, more reliable and more efficient Metro network for the thousands of people who rely on our trams every day. Modernising the depot also means we are fully equipped to expand services when the next extensions to Digbeth, Merry Hill and the new Birmingham Sports Quarter site open in the coming years.”
Sophie Allison, Metro’s managing director, said: “As well as boosting our already highly effective security measures, the new control centre is essential to the safe and efficient running of a larger, more complex tram system. Operationally, it will help future-proof the network as it continues to grow with more routes and junctions, increased services and a greater number of passengers.”
A new track has also been installed at the depot to give direct access to the Wednesbury to Dudley route, alongside a vastly expanded stabling area to accommodate additional trams and improved facilities for drivers and staff. The depot expansion has been funded by Transport for West Midlands, part of the WMCA, with work carried out by Midland Metro Alliance.
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